Natalie Holt

Natalie Holt, a composer from Britain, created the musical score for the Star Wars limited series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Holt, a dedicated violinist with a deep appreciation for the works of Star Wars icon John Williams, embraced the Kenobi project as an opportunity to honor Williams' iconic compositions. She further explored the realm of orchestral music while introducing her unique sonic elements to the Star Wars universe.

Biography

Natalie Holt, a British composer known for her work in both film and television, crafted the score for the Star Wars television miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi. When working on Kenobi, she traveled to London to meet with the director, Deborah Chow. Over two days, they reviewed a preliminary version of the series, discussing the characters and narrative developments. Holt was thrilled to have the chance to collaborate, even if indirectly, with Star Wars legend John Williams, who composed the main theme and the theme for the show's main character, the Jedi-in-exile Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi. Holt then embarked on composing the complete score, initially attempting to create a theme for Kenobi as well, inspired by Chow's description of the character as a solitary figure lost in the deserts. With this sense of the character's fragmented presence in mind, she began composing, allowing the music to evolve alongside his journey. Holt valued the guidance of Chow and Lucasfilm's president, Kathleen Kennedy, as she navigated the process of contributing to Star Wars through the Kenobi episodes, eventually finding her rhythm around the fourth episode.

The Kenobi score features themes associated with the stormtroopers, individual characters, and the new planets introduced in the series. When choosing distinctive sounds for each planet, Holt took into account each world's unique character and incorporated diverse musical styles, including sounds from Thailand, Hong Kong, and Latin America, aiming to transform them to create an otherworldly atmosphere. While Holt introduced fresh elements to the Star Wars soundscape, she considers her Kenobi score to be more deeply rooted in the Star Wars tradition compared to Ludwig Göransson's score for The Mandalorian television series. Being a skilled violinist, the composer crafted several emotionally resonant violin themes for Kenobi, and she seized the opportunity to invite soloist James Ehnes to contribute to the recording of the score.

The Kenobi score was recorded at the Newman Scoring Stage located in Los Angeles, and it showcases Holt's own talents, as she played the viola and violin, as well as contributed vocals. In addition to orchestrator Pete Anthony, Holt also collaborated with percussionist Brian Kilgore, who introduced a variety of percussion instruments. The two experimented with the contrasting and rhythmic textures of the percussion elements, and Holt also integrated synth sounds and a collection of 250 horns and flutes owned by Swedish folk flutist Erik Rydvall, who played his nyckelharpas. She specifically used a hunting horn, recording it and then lowering its pitch to achieve an effect she describes as "haunting." Holt recorded her score with Chris Fogel, Göransson's engineer, and mixed the music at Göransson's studio, where she also had the pleasure of meeting him.

Filmography

Sources

Obi-Wan Kenobi — " Part I "
Obi-Wan Kenobi — " Part II "
Obi-Wan Kenobi — " Part III "
Obi-Wan Kenobi — " Part IV "
Obi-Wan Kenobi — " Part V "
Obi-Wan Kenobi — " Part VI "
Saga Chronicles: Skywalker Sound's Danielle Dupre and Jon Borland on their Obi-Wan Kenobi Journey on StarWars.com (backup link)

Notes and references

External links